The neighbor's dog is barking all day while his owner is at work. The cat down the street prefers your azaleas to her litter box. Someone's ferret is scampering unattended through the lobby of your condominium. What can be done about pet problems common to all community associations?
"Pet Policies: How to Draft and Enforce Rules That Sit, Stay, and Heel" is the latest title issued by Community Association Press, the publishing division of Community Associations Institute (CAI), and it offers practical advice on how community associations can deal positively and effectively with residents who have pets.
According to "Pet Policies," "Pet rules are about people with pets, not just pets." That simple understanding is what sets this book apart from other books about dealing with pet problems.
The book also offers alternatives to restrictions that are practical and useful, and its innovative enforcement ideas will get results without going to court.
Hal A. Barrow, an attorney in Warminster, PA, specializing in community association legal issues said," 'Pets' is sensible and reasonable! Its insightful look at how to handle pets should be part of every association's library."
"If we are really trying to 'put community back into the communities,' I think we need to have choice, flexibility, and options. This book has been written with this in mind," said Jean Georges, of Business Reorganization, Inc., in Las Vegas.
Of particular interest in this guide is the information on the federal Fair Housing Act and the impact it is having on community association's pet policies. A section on the increasing trend in exotic and dangerous pets also offers sound advice on how to handle a new species of pet issues.
Community Associations Press is the publishing division of the Community Associations Institute. It is dedicated solely to publishing the very best resources available for community associations. Pet Policies: How to Draft and Enforce Rules That Sit, Stay, and Heel is available for $25 by calling 703-548-8600. CAI members receive a 40% discount and may purchase the book for $15. CAI publications can also be purchased at the CAI web site's online bookstore.
The Community Associations Institute is a nonprofit association created in 1973 to educate and represent the nation's 231,000 community associations—condominium associations, homeowner associations and cooperatives. CAI members include homeowners, associations and the professionals who provide products and services to them.